1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure generally relates to a wax wanner, and more specifically, to a wax warmer for use with a wax melt to dispense materials into the surrounding environment.
2. Description of the Background of the Invention
Candles have been used for centuries to provide illumination and pleasant aromas to the surrounding environment. At its most basic level, a candle consists of a wick dipped in wax. The wick is lit and provides light while the burning or melting wax may provide a pleasant aroma. Alternatively, unscented or scented candles or wax melts can be placed in a warmer. These candles or warmers may also be used to provide more than just illumination and/or pleasant fragrances. For instance, candles and warmers may be placed outside around a patio or deck. The wax or oil may include materials with insect repellant properties along with providing a pleasant aroma and/or illumination. Generally, users can burn or warm waxes and oils to provide desired effects to the surrounding atmosphere or environment.
Traditional warmers and candles may have some drawbacks. Candles may be forgotten and left unsupervised and may represent a fire hazard. Also, a candle flame may be extinguished with a slight breeze or gust of wind. Melted wax may splatter or make a mess with traditional candles. An additional drawback associated with candles is the inability to control the intensity of the heat being provided to the scented material. A candle flame is not easily adjustable and thus the amount of heat the flame provides to the infused wax or oil does not allow a user to vary the strength of the fragrance introduced into the surrounding environment.
Some attempts have been made to overcome the aforementioned drawbacks associated with warmers and candles through the use of electric wax warmers. An electric wax warmer consists of a heater in thermal contact with a reservoir for holding a wax melt or infused oil. The heater replaces the candle in a traditional warmer and melts the wax or heats the oil in the reservoir resulting in the same benefits as previously mentioned. The lack of a flame reduces the risk associated with traditional warmers and candles. Another advantage may be the temperature of the heater in an electric wax warmer can be adjusted. This provides the user with more control over the amount of fragrant or other materials introduced into the surrounding environment. Electric wax warmers also have more consistent performance indoors and outdoors and are less messy than traditional candles and warmers.
Electric wax warmers may have significant advantages over traditional warmers and candles, however, they may also have some drawbacks. There are many different types of heaters that can be used in an electric wax warmer. Some examples include resistive, positive thermal coefficient, and inductive type heating elements. Many of the heating elements available are fragile and require careful handling to prevent damage during manufacturing and use. Besides being handled and secured to prevent damage, the heating element in an electric wax warmer needs to maintain a strong thermal contact with the reservoir. The amount of electricity needed during operation is reduced as the quality of the thermal contact improves. There are numerous examples in the art of very complex structures employed to safely position a heating element in thermal contact with a reservoir. However, complexity adds cost in materials and cost in manufacturing. In contrast, some of the simple heating element mounting means may not adequately protect the heating element and may result in manufacturing defects.
Therefore, there is a need for an electric wax warmer that overcomes the aforementioned drawbacks. In particular, there is a need for a wax warmer that provides superior thermal performance to a user while being cost effective for a user. Further, there is a need for a wax warmer that provides an easy and efficient means for mounting and maintaining a heating element in thermal contact with a reservoir containing a wax melt. Further still, there is a need for a wax warmer that is easy to manufacture to keep manufacturing costs down and prevent manufacturing defects. There is also a need for a wax warmer that is made from low cost materials while delivering improved performance.
The present disclosure overcomes some of the aforementioned drawbacks by providing a wax warmer that maintains excellent thermal contact between the heating element and the reservoir. The wax warmer disclosed herein also minimizes the material and manufacturing costs and reduces the opportunity to damage the heating element during assembly.